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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-08-2021 MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF MORTON GROVE _ RICHARD T. FLICKINGER MUNICIPAL CENTER FEBRUARY 8, 2021 CALL TO ORDER I. Village President Dan DiMaria convened the Regular Meeting of the Village Board at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Village Hall and led the Board and assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance. II. Village Clerk Eileen Harford called the roll. Present were Trustees Bill Grear, Rita Minx, Ed Ra- mos, John Thill, Connie Travis, and Janine Witko. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mayor DiMaria asked for an approval of the Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting of January 25, 2021. Trustee Minx moved to accept the Minutes of that meeting as presented, seconded by Trustee Ramos. Motion passed unanimously via voice vote IV. SPECIAL REPORTS NONE V. PUBLIC HEARINGS NONE VI. PLAN COMMISSION REPORTS NONE VII. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (Agenda Items Only) NONE Minutes of February 8,2021 Board Meeting VIII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT 1. Mayor DiMaria welcomed everyone back to "in person" meetings, and said it's great to all be together again. He noted this shows progress is being made towards a return to normalcy. 2. Mayor DiMaria stated that Cook County is now in Phase lb of the Community Vaccination Plan. Although vaccine remains in short supply, persons 65 years old and older who live or work in Cook County will receive priority in Phase 1b. Law enforcement, teachers, and other essential workers, such as manufacturing employees and grocery store workers, are also included in this phase. Anyone interested in receiving the vaccine should visit the Village's website at www.mortongroveil.org and follow the "vaccination" links to sign up and receive additional details regarding scheduling an appointment. a. Mayor DiMaria said that individuals who do not have access to a computer, email, or the internet can call the Cook County COVID-19 Vaccine Enrollment Help Line at 833-308-1988 on Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. to sign up for the vaccine.This number may experience a large volume of calls, so it is important to keep trying. b. Mayor DiMaria commented that he has been stopped by residents concerning vaccinations, and has also received a number of emails as well. He said that if the vaccine was in the Village's hands, we would be the ones to get it to all our essential workers and our senior population. Unfortunately, that's not the way the system works, so the Village is doing all it can to keep everyone updated and abreast of what's happening. He said, "we know (the vaccine rollout) is not going as easily as we had all hoped, but once again, when it's not in the hands of the municipal government, it tends to get screwed up." 3. Mayor DiMaria said that Morton Grove's positivity rate for COVID-19 is at 4.8%. He said he was very proud of Morton Grove residents and encouraged everyone to keep up the great effort. The mayor said Morton Grove's positivity rate was one of the lowest in the area. He also encouraged everyone to continue to follow some simple safety measures to fight COVID-19 by remembering the three W's: Watch your distance; remain at least 6 feet away from those out- side your immediate household; Wear face coverings any time social distancing is not possible— especially indoors, and Wash your hands often and for a minimum of 20 seconds each time. Wash with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. a. Mayor DiMaria stated the latest guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the CDC says that simple, everyday actions can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses. 4. Mayor DiMaria urged everyone to please continue to patronize local businesses, restaurants, and bars, as you feel comfortable, during the continuing pandemic. He said we all have to work together to help these local establishments get through the winter months so they can remain ,_ open in the spring. 2020 was an incredibly difficult year for local restaurants, so it's more important than ever to show our support. 2 Minutes of February 8,2021 Board Meeting VIII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT (continued) 5. Mayor DiMaria noted that February is "National Restaurant Month" and encouraged residents to enter the "Dine Morton Grove" contest.To enter, simply submit a photo of you and a friend enjoying a Morton Grove restaurant, or submit a restaurant receipt of$25 or more (or a group of receipts totaling $25 or more), with the receipts dated anytime in February. Multiple submissions are encouraged! Submissions must be completed by March 3, 2021. Receipts may be submitted at Village Hall and photos should be uploaded. Ten winners will be selected at the Board's March 8 meeting. Each winner will receive a $25 gift card. Winners are limited to one per household. More information can be found in the latest issue of the Village's newsletter, or on the Village website (www.mortongroveil.org). 6. Mayor DiMaria said the Village is once again offering its residents a chance to participate in the 50/50 Tree Planting Program. You can choose a type of tree from the Village's website that you would like to have planted in your parkway and pay 50%of the cost, which, for 2021, is$45.The Village will pay the other 50%. More information on this program can be found on the Village website. IX. CLERK'S REPORT Clerk Harford had no report this evening. X. STAFF REPORTS A. Village Administrator: Mr. Czerwinski had no report this evening. B. Corporation Counsel: Corporation Counsel Liston had no report this evening. Xl. TRUSTEES' REPORTS A. Trustee Grear: Trustee Grear had no report this evening. 3 Minutes of February 8,2021 Board Meeting xi. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) B. Trustee Minx: .mmol Trustee Minx had no report this evening. C. Trustee Ramos: Trustee Ramos presented Ordinance 21-01, Amending Title 5, Chapter 13, Article A,Section 4 1. Entitled "Four-Way Stop Intersections" of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove to Include a Four-Way Stop Control at the Intersection of Davis Street and Mason Avenue. This is the second reading of this Ordinance. a. Trustee Ramos explained that the Village received a Traffic Safety Commission Request for Review and the required petition requesting a four-way stop control at the intersection of Davis Street and Mason Avenue. The Traffic Safety Commission reviewed this request at its January 7, 2021 meeting and recommended that the Village approve the request. The fiscal impact is$250. Trustee Ramos moved, seconded by Trustee Minx, to adopt Ordinance 21-01. .mmol b. Trustee Thill commented that, in the area bounded by Dempster Street, Church Street, Austin Avenue, and Central Avenue, there are 101 corners. With the passage of this ordinance, 97 of those corners would have stop signs. He said the number of stop signs in the Village has bothered him for several years. He said he'd like to ask Village staff to research that area to see if any of the stop signs could be "reset" so as to allow a driver to be able to go two blocks without a stop sign. Trustee Thill felt it was reasonable to request that research. He said he was not trying to stop this ordinance; he just felt adding more stop signs is overkill. c. Trustee Grear said that he appreciates Trustee Thill's comment, but feels that, regardless of the number of stop signs in the Village, he felt that, if a group of neighbors or residents of a particular area believe there's a safety issue, it wasn't his business to dispute that. He said if he was part of a group bringing such a request and was told that it was not necessary because there's already 101 stop signs and this would make it 104, he would be pretty upset. As a Trustee, if he made that call and then someone's child got hit by a car at that intersection, he said he'd feel that that child's injury was on his shoulders. Trustee Grear emphasized that "safety is always our priority as Village officials," and this is part of it. Mayor DiMaria called for the vote on Ordinance 21-01. Motion passed: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstention. Tr. Grear abstain Tr. Minx aye Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko aye 4 Minutes of February 8,2021 Board Meeting XI. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) C. Trustee Ramos: (continued) 2. Next, Trustee Ramos presented Ordinance 21-03, Amending Title 5, Chapter 13,Article F, Section 3 Entitled "Time Limit Parking Zones" of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove to Modify the Time Limit Parking Zone on Ferris Avenue. This is the second reading of this Ordinance. a. Trustee Ramos said that a local business on the 8700 block of Ferris Avenue had requested on-street parking accommodations on the block to meet their particular needs. The Police Chief enacted a temporary, experimental regulation to modify the time of day of the existing 90-minute parking time restriction to accommodate the request. Public feedback was solicited and none was received. Village staff supports making the regulation permanent, and at its January 7, 2021 meeting, the Traffic Safety Commission also supported making the temporary regulation permanent. The fiscal impact is $70. Trustee Ramos moved to adopt Ordinance 21-03, seconded by Trustee Grear. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko aye 3. Trustee Ramos then presented Ordinance 21-04, Amending Title 5, Chapter 13, Article F, Section 3 Entitled "Time Limit Parking Zones" and Title 5, Chapter 13,Article F, Section 4 Entitled "Restricted Parking Streets" of the Municipal Code of the Village of Morton Grove to Add Permit Parking on Lincoln Avenue. This is the second reading of this Ordinance. a. Trustee Ramos explained that local businesses on Lincoln Avenue between Ferris Avenue and Callie Avenue asked for on-street accommodations on their block that meet their particular needs. The Police Chief enacted a temporary, experimental regulation to add a Zone 14 special permit parking zone to the existing 90-minute parking time restriction. Public feedback was solicited and none was received. Village staff supports making the regulation permanent, and at its January 7, 2021 meeting, the Traffic Safety Commission also supported making the temporary regulation permanent. The fiscal impact is $70. Trustee Ramos moved, seconded by Trustee Minx, to adopt Ordinance 21-04. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko aye 5 Minutes of February 8,2021 Board Meeting Xl. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) C. Trustee Ramos: (continued) 4. Lastly,Trustee Ramos presented Resolution 21-10,Authorizing a Contractual Agreement With Dell, Inc.to Provide for the Renewal of a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement for Microsoft Software Licensing for Operating and Productivity Software for All Village Desktop Computers. a. He explained that the Village is required to maintain licensing for the software it uses in daily operations.The Village's licenses and software maintenance structure was originally established in 2008 in order to comply with the Village's use of Microsoft Corporation software.The Enterprise Agreement renewal includes an annual maintenance support cost for updates and upgrades (Microsoft Software Assurance), as well as the license costs.The Enterprise Agreement had advantages over individual purchases, including lower platform costs, distributed payments, anniversary period renewals, and software upgrade assurances. The license pricing is held stable for three annual renewal periods as long as there are no adjustments to license quantity.The 2021 renewal is the first renewal period of the three stable pricing periods due to the State of Illinois contract transitioning to a new vendor.The State pre-negotiates competitive pricing with Microsoft on behalf of cities and municipalities who chose to participate in this program.This agreement covers the license and maintenance period of January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021.The pricing and licensing structure was competitively reviewed to ensure the financial responsibility of this agreement.The 2021 licensing and software maintenance expense is $46,823.50. Trustee Ramos moved to approve Resolution 21-10, seconded by Trustee Witko. Motion passed: 6 ayes,0 nays. Tr. Grear ly± Tr. Minx aye Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Thill aye Tr.Travis ly± Tr.Witko aye D. Trustee Thill: Trustee Thill had no report this evening. E. Trustee Travis: Trustee Travis had no report this evening. 111 6 Minutes of February 8,2021 Board Meeting Xl. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) F. Trustee Witko: 1. Trustee Witko presented Resolution 21-08,Authorizing a Contract With Mid-American Water of Wauconda, Illinois for the 2021 Fire Hydrant Replacement Program. a. She explained that, over the last six years, the Water Division of Public Works has increased the replacement of aging fire hydrants in the system. Some hydrants were installed over 90 years ago and parts are either unavailable or cost prohibitive. On January 21, 2021, Public Works received bids from four vendors for the purchase of fifty(50)fire hydrants for the 2021 Fire Hydrant Replacement Program. Mid-American Water of Wauconda, IL was selected as the low bid vendor.The fiscal impact of this Resolution is$133,400. Trustee Witko moved, seconded by Trustee Travis, to approve Resolution 21-08. b. Trustee Grear clarified that the Village's Public Works personnel will install the hydrants when weather permits, once they've been received. He asked if hydrants would be replaced based on their age. Mr. Czerwinski said that fire hydrants are "rated"just like any other infrastructure, so they're replaced based on their operational effectiveness. Hydrants that are most distressed or malfunctioning will be replaced first. He added that,just because a hydrant is old, doesn't mean it's bad. c. Trustee Grear asked how many fire hydrants there are in the Village. Mr. Czerwinski deferred to Public Works Director Joe Dahm for the answer. Mr. Dahm said there are 1,100 hydrants in the Village. Trustee Grear noted that the Village has quite a financial investment in its fire hydrants. He said he hoped residents would be mindful of where they park and wouldn't block any hydrants. He also pointed out that Public Works is busy trying to keep our main streets, side streets, and alleys clear of snow, so he hoped that residents would do their part by clearing the snow around fire hydrants in their vicinity, making the hydrants would be available for use if the Fire Department needs them. Trustee Grear also asked residents to get their cars off the streets, if at all possible, before snowstorms hit, so that Public Works can clear the streets from curb to curb. Mayor DiMaria called for the vote on Resolution 21-08. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear Tr. Minx aye Tr. Ramos gig Tr. Thill aye Tr.Travis ly± Tr. Witko 2. Trustee Witko then presented Resolution 21-09,Authorizing a Contract With Fer-Pal Construction USA, LLC for Albert Avenue Water Main Lining Project. a. She explained that the existing 12-inch feeder water main located in the rear yards of homes in the 6500 block of Albert Avenue was originally installed in 1953 and supplies water to the far east side of the Village from the North Pumping Station. Minutes of February 8,2021 Board Meeting Xl. TRUSTEES' REPORTS (continued) F. Trustee Witko: (continued) a. Over the past 10 years, this water main has experienced major breaks, causing long-term water service interruptions. It is now in need of replacement. After diligent research, staff recommends the option to line 900 lineal feet of existing 12-inch water main instead of full water main replacement. b. Trustee Witko said the Village's engineering consultant, Ciorba Group, completed the project design work for this project in 2020. On January 13, 2021, Public Works invited bids for the project and 16 entities obtained the bidding materials. On January 26, 2021, two bids were received and publicly opened. Staff verified all qualifications and determined the lowest qualified bidder was Fer-Pal Construction USA, LLC of Elgin, IL, meeting all bid requirements, in the amount of$398,664.This contract must conform to the requirements of the Prevailing Wage Act. Trustee Witko moved to approve Resolution 21-09, seconded by Trustee Minx. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr.Grear aye Tr. Minx ky± Tr. Ramos aye Tr.Thill ky± Tr.Travis aye Tr. Witko aye XII. OTHER BUSINESS Trustee Thill complimented Public Works on their outstanding work in keeping the Village's streets clear. Besides clearing the snow from the most recent storm, they repaired eight water main breaks. He also commented that he had watched Water Division personnel replace a fire hydrant across the street from his house last summer. He said it was done so smoothly, it was like watching a ballet. They replace the hydrant and the sod so seamlessly that, a week later, you'd never know anything happened. Mayor DiMaria asked Mr. Dahm to convey the Board's thanks to the Public Works staff for every- thing they do, saying, "We're proud of them—great job!" XIII. WARRANTS Trustee Minx presented the Warrant Register for February 8, 2021 in the amount of $352,626.65. She moved to approve the Warrant Register as presented, seconded by Trustee Ramos. Motion passes: 6 ayes,0 nays. Tr. Grear ky± Tr. Minx aye Tr. Ramos aye Tr.Thill aye Tr.Travis ky± Tr. Witko aye 8 Minutes of February 8,2021 Board Meeting XIV. RESIDENTS'COMMENTS Mr. Czerwinski noted that there were two residents' comments which had come in via email by the designated deadline. 1. Mohammed Sadiq wrote to request permission to keep a goat or any other domestic animal that isn't a cat or a dog. He felt it was unfair for people who cannot own a cat or a dog, or who are afraid of small animals, to not be allowed a pet. He said he's seen non-farm owners own an- imals such as pigs or goats as pets. He said, if someone doesn't like dogs or cats but still wants a pet, why can't they own pigs, chickens, or goats, or some other pet of their choice. He said obviously the Village doesn't allow people to own exotic animals like lions or tigers, but he would still like to see less limitations on choices for pets. 2. Eric Poders said he was writing from "across the pond," as he was stranded due to some car issues. He wanted to warn Public Works that a rather large parcel of gourmet chocolates was shipped to the Public Works building today from Wisconsin. He hoped, if there was too much chocolate, that they'd share it with the Police and Fire Departments.These chocolates are courtesy of now-international author Amber Sawyer. a. Mr. Poders also said that he had been able to attend the 2021 Magical Ice Festival in St. Joseph, MI.There's more information on that on the Facebook event page or by googling Magical Ice Festival. He also included some personal photos, which Mr. Czerwinski said would be included with the Minutes of this meeting. Mr. Poders said this was an amazing and well-attended event _ that brought people together and also brought in economic stimulation for local businesses. He felt this should be a project for the Community Relations Commission to take on, in conjunction with the Morton Grove Days Commission, the Morton Grove Park District, the Morton Grove Public Library, local and area public grammar and high schools, the MCC Academy, and all pre- school, religious schools, and private schools within the Village limits and beyond. Mr. Poders wished the Board all the best and encouraged them to stay masked and stay warm. He wrote that the Village should feel free to forward this email, which also contained Mr. Poders' phone number and personal email address,to any and all parties or organizations who might be interested in this. He also sent copies of this email to all the school districts, the MG Police Department and Fire Department, the MG Public Library, the MG Park District, and the MG Chamber of Commerce. 3. Rudy Vilk asked the Village to recheck his case for a document he had given to the Mayor,the Village Administrator, and every Trustee, as well as a document from Mr.Jim (last name inaudible). He asked, "Did Mr. Jim (last name inaudible) do a correct job or an incorrect job?" He said the letter mentions "the Mayor and I," but there's only one signature. Mr. Vilk said that when you say something like that, the letter should include both signatures. b. Mr. Vilk said he addresses all his letters to the Mayor and the Board members, but he's never received anything with any of the Trustees' signatures. He received a letter that referred to "next steps" regarding his water rate issue and also referred to an Ordinance. The letter said that an explanation had been offered to Mr. Vilk"numerous times" by the author and 9 Minutes of February 8,2021 Board Meeting XIV. RESIDENTS' COMMENTS (continued) Village Board members. He asked the Board if that was true—have any of them talked to him about his water bill/water rate problem? Mayor DiMaria responded, saying he's spoken with Mr. Vilk many times, but Mr. Vilk said he wasn't asking the mayor, he was asking the Trustees. Mayor DiMaria noted that he represents the Board and told Mr. Vilk he had 30 seconds in which to conclude his presentation. Mr. Vilk said that Mr. Jim (last name inaudible) had taken pictures of Mr. Vilk's garbage and recycling. The metal had been separated and was gone shortly after it had been put out, taken by metal collectors. Nevertheless, the photos were sent to the adjudication officer. Mr. Vilk also claimed that there was a picture of a garbage can on his property that was not his; the wind had blown it onto his property. Mayor DiMaria informed Mr. Vilk that his time had ended. XV. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Board, Trustee Minx moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Trustee Grear. Motion passed: 6 ayes, 0 nays. Tr. Grear aye Tr. Minx aye Tr. Ramos aye Tr. Thill aye Tr. Travis aye Tr. Witko aye The meeting adjourned at 7:31 p.m. 10 Minutes of February 8,2021 Board Meeting PASSED this 22nd day of February, 2021. Trustee Grear Trustee Minx A Trustee Ramos A Trustee Thill Trustee Travis A Trustee Witko APPROVED by me this 22nd day of February, 2021. Daniel P. DiMaria,Village President Board of Trustees, Morton Grove, Illinois APPROVED and FILED in my office this 23rd day of February, 2021. Eileen Scanlon Harford, Village Clerk Village of Morton Grove, Cook County, Illinois Minutes by Teresa Cousar 11